washington post /sprinter advice

[05highroof]

Thought some of you might a kick out of this article I found in the Washington Post. Pat Goss is their automobile columnist with some 40 years experience as a auto mechanic / garage owner.

Bonifay, Fla.: My 2004 Dodge Sprinter (MD diesel van) with 40,000 miles on it has broken down three times since Memorial Day - lost crankcase pulley, resonator, and finally turbo charger. Am I safe for awhile, or should I get rid of it for a U.S. diesel van? If so, which one?

Pat Goss: Oh my! You are probably safe for a while but if you are uneasy with the vehicle (I know I would be) then a domestic might be in order but I would buy gas power rather than diesel due to numerous diesel problems. We service some fleets of vans and to a fleet they have switched to gas engines. Their numbers show they can get more miles out of two gas engines per van at a lower cost than a single diesel.

_______________________

[abittenbinder]

You probably recognize Pat Goss from the Motorweek TV show. Shame on him for lumping MBenz diesel engines with US made diesels, in coming to that conclusion. Doktor A

[Altered Sprinter]

Originally Posted by abittenbinder

You probably recognize Pat Goss from the Motorweek TV show. Shame on him for lumping MBenz diesel engines with US made diesels, in coming to that conclusion. Doktor A

Yep one negative = attitude overrides..12 positives = advantages.. I would think the magazines sponsors pay quite a bit of money for negative thoughts, towards imported technologies.
Well here is a positive statement......................................... ..................................
Daimler AG increases sales world-Wide over 2006-2007 to a massive 169% increase on volume sales , the only country to report downward sales on Sprinters was the USA , but that is because of local economics, not the Sprinter as such.

Another positive as to alternative vehicles with Diesel ...Look at the recalls on oppositions vehicles, as opposed to the Sprinter, OK the Sprinter, it's not a perfect 100% fault free unit. But Daimler is the one laughing it's corporate head off, all the way to the bank,as the worlds most profitable automotive manufacture.

Positive thought for the oppositions think tank... Daimler has always invested back, profits derived from sales...towards further development on all products...that the diversity, of Daimler's divisions! "Have_Interests in" ...'ALWAYS' looking to the future instead of burying it's head in the corrupted encrusted quick sands of yesterdays history.

Negative thought, show me one N/American manufacture in the automotive industry that has done this in the last twenty five years I can only think of the GM electric car, that had the potential and foresight to resolve energy needs , and who killed that one. 'I may well ask'! it was not a directive from GM so much, but as to the disincentives of large oil organizations,and the feds who wanted taxpayers money to be spent on the Hummer.

In the last financial year Australia sold one million new vehicles 50% were Diesel That speaks for itself... People are not conned that easily down under.

Grrrr' so Mr Pat Goss........ My answer to your negative comment, read this one.
Diesel Dominates. and take a long hard look at the 42 MPG rocket pocket Diesel 4-in-lines with double cam 32 V twin-inline turbos, one runs full time! the other when you need the extra power. And just for added input VW with Turbo and supercharger, all hooked on new technology with double clutch sequential seven speed auto trans, and PIEZO fuel injection automatically adjusting for fuel pressure, to each individual piston only when you need it. they are knocking on your door..Now today, sooooo' smooth, sooooo' quiet,,,soooo' clean with Blutec, non vibrating,Heck they run on Viagra, with double balancing shafts, Yep two of them, eat your heart! out Mr Goss 'hello Mr Benz'... strikes again... On ya' 'Bike mate.
Richard
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[contractor]

Originally Posted by abittenbinder

You probably recognize Pat Goss from the Motorweek TV show. Shame on him for lumping MBenz diesel engines with US made diesels, in coming to that conclusion. Doktor A

It's too bad the american car manufacturers don't focus on diesel to reduce our usage of oil. I believe the latest GM commercial talks about the promise of electric, hybrid, and H2 technologies but nothing about bio-diesel?
Europeans have been focusing on diesel instead of the hybrid. The VW TDI can get a whopping 48 MPG with their diesel (and lots of power).
Reliability can always be improved ... the Japanese are wonderful at this. Yet, I don't believe Toyota even makes a diesel

[jdcaples]

Originally Posted by contractor

Yet, I don't believe Toyota even makes a diesel

Toyota makes a diesel.... your - and my - residency precludes our ownership (at least at a reasonable price).

Engine type Diesel
Engine capacity (cc) 4461
Engine description V8/DOHC/4V
Forced induction system Turbo
Maximum Power 195kW @ 3400rpm
Maximum Torque 650Nm @ 1600rpm

Toyota Landcruiser. Available Down Under.

-Jon

[Altered Sprinter]

Toyota land cruiser, Tropper, one ton vans,and pick ups, Diesel very popular The Diesel is an older engine and will struggle to accept a euro 4 DPF for 2008 , they are registered in a lower class for emission standards,Oh what a Feeling.. Toyota. will find a way, they are twice as noisy than the Mercedes Sprinter and only last about half the life span of the Mercs But 500 thousand Kilometers before serious work is required, advantage thirty percent cheaper than a Mercedes as a work horse in the van section, they dominate the sales over all competition but with the Yen losing ground as to it being linked to the US dollar Toyota is in trouble down under as to having a competitive lead, I like them .
Toyota's have extremely high resale valuations, better than the Sprinters. however Toyota has proven itself down under, especially with the 4X4 section
Richard

[topless]

The discussion about diesel vs gas is conducted mostly on the gas side by people who have no direct experience with modern turbo diesels.
I was one of the first people on RV.net to buy a Sprinter rv conversion and the debate from uninformed people was , and continues to be, amazing. People who never even rode in a Sprinter couldn't believe it made enough power to do anything. I quit even trying to explain how a turbo makes up for displacement, especially in high altitudes.
For a couple of years, a number of them refused to accept that a big van could get low 20's mpg.
It has turned now, but it got so contentious that fuel discussions are banned on the B van forum. lol, the non-diesel folks lost their cool because they had no facts to back up their statements.
Blame GM and their horrible diesels of the late 70's-early 80's for the publics dislike of diesel cars.
It didn't help with the U.S. not going to ULSD until last year and the cost of diesel being 30-50 cents higher per gallon than regular unleaded.

[Altered Sprinter]

Originally Posted by topless

The discussion about diesel vs gas is conducted mostly on the gas side by people who have no direct experience with modern turbo diesels.
I was one of the first people on RV.net to buy a Sprinter rv conversion and the debate from uninformed people was , and continues to be, amazing. People who never even rode in a Sprinter couldn't believe it made enough power to do anything. I quit even trying to explain how a turbo makes up for displacement, especially in high altitudes.
For a couple of years, a number of them refused to accept that a big van could get low 20's mpg.
It has turned now, but it got so contentious that fuel discussions are banned on the B van forum. lol, the non-diesel folks lost their cool because they had no facts to back up their statements.
Blame GM and their horrible diesels of the late 70's-early 80's for the publics dislike of diesel cars.
It didn't help with the U.S. not going to ULSD until last year and the cost of diesel being 30-50 cents higher per gallon than regular unleaded.

Thank you topless an excellent evaluation as to modern Diesel engines, factual and non biased
Richard

[SprintED]

Check out the Jan edition of Popular Mechanics....nice article about 75 mpg diesel VW Polo Bluemotion and how it it out performs the Prius on MPG by 38% and puts out less emissions. Also chats about all the diesels coming to America this year and next. But not the Polo...it cant meet the California emission regs...how stupid is that????

Although my particular (isolated) experience with a less than reliable sprinter should have me agreeing with Mr. Goss...but he is out to lunch IMHO. Over 50% of the vehicles sold in Europe are diesel and the sooner we do the same...the sooner we can start burning less fuel as a continent.

"If 33% of US drivers switched to diesel, the country would reduce its oil consumption by about 1.5 million barrels a day, cutting oil imports by more than 10%" Popular Mechanics - Jan 2008

"This is going to be remembered as the decade when we transformed diesel" Margo Oge, EPA

[contractor]

Originally Posted by SprintED

Check out the Jan edition of Popular Mechanics....nice article about 75 mpg diesel VW Polo Bluemotion and how it it out performs the Prius on MPG by 38% and puts out less emissions. Also chats about all the diesels coming to America this year and next. But not the Polo...it cant meet the California emission regs...how stupid is that????

Although my particular (isolated) experience with a less than reliable sprinter should have me agreeing with Mr. Goss...but he is out to lunch IMHO. Over 50% of the vehicles sold in Europe are diesel and the sooner we do the same...the sooner we can start burning less fuel as a continent.

"If 33% of US drivers switched to diesel, the country would reduce its oil consumption by about 1.5 million barrels a day, cutting oil imports by more than 10%" Popular Mechanics - Jan 2008

"This is going to be remembered as the decade when we transformed diesel" Margo Oge, EPA

Thank you for the informative post.
This may also be remembered as the decade missed by the US auto manufacturers since designs lag trends by years. I do not even hear about the promise of diesel in any commercials.